1. Field
The present disclosure relates to methods for preventing or treating side effects of steroids in a subject comprising administrating acetylsalicylic acid to the subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
Glucocorticoid formulations including dexamethasone have been clinically used as medications to treat various immune diseases and inflammations due to excellent immune-suppressive activities and anti-inflammatory effects thereof. However, dexamethasone may cause various side effects such as atrophy of tissues of muscle, brain, and skin, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Dexamethasone increases phosphorylation of a glucocorticoid hormone receptor in cells, thereby promoting transport of the glucocorticoid hormone receptor into a cell nucleus. The glucocorticoid hormone receptor transported into the cell nucleus increases expression of Forkhead box O (FOXO) protein, which is a transcription factor, thereby increasing expression of Atrogin-1 or MuRF-1 protein serving as an ubiquitin protein ligase. Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 proteins induce ubiquitination of proteins essential for muscles, such as MyoD or myosin heavy chains, thereby promoting degradation of proteins of muscles and decreasing muscle mass. Thus, glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone may cause decreased muscle mass as a side effect.
The side effects caused by steroids such as glucocorticoids may be treated by administering antibacterial agents for infections, administering insulin and oral antidiabetic medications for diabetes, administering antiacids and H2 blocker for gastrointestinal tract symptoms, administering vitamin D or calcium for osteoporosis, administering ocular hypotensive agents for glaucoma, and administering antipsychotic drugs for mental disorders and state of depression.
However, there is still a need to develop methods of preventing or treating side effects in treatment of steroids such as glucocorticoids.